Laccases (EC. 1.10.3.2 p-benzenediol:oxygen oxidoreductase) belong to a family of multi-copper oxidases. Laccases are widely distributed enzymes in higher plants, fungi, some insects and bacteria. They are characterized by low substrate specificity, oxidizing various substrate, including diphenols, polyphenols, different substituted phenols, diamines, aromatic amines, and even inorganic compounds like iodine. Laccases oxidize their substrates by a one-electron oxidation mechanism, and they use molecular oxygen as an electron acceptor. Among laccases the primary sequence, induction mechanism, physico-chemical (e.g. isoelectric point and carbohydrate content) and biochemical characteristics are variable. The copper binding sites of laccases are, however, strictly conserved.
Several laccase proteins and genes encoding these laccases have been previously isolated. For example WO 01/92498 describes a fungal laccase enzyme isolated from Melanocarpus albomyces strain, the patent publication EP 0765394 B1 (corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,981,243) describes the cloning of a laccase gene from Myceliophthora thermophila and its expression in Aspergillus and U.S. Pat. No. 5,750,388 describes the cloning of a laccase gene from Scytalidium thermophilum and its expression in Aspergillus. 
Chefetz et al. (1998a) describe isolation and preliminary characterization of a laccase from composted municipal soil waste. The microbe producing this laccase was later identified as Chaetomium thermophilum, and the enzyme was further purified and characterized (Chefetz et al., 1998b). The reported enzyme had pI 5.1. The laccase was stable for 1 h at 70° C. and had half-lives of 24 and 12 h at 40 and 50° C., respectively. The enzyme was stable at pH 5 to 10 and the pH optimum was 6. Saito et al. (2003) describe purification and characterization of an extracellular laccase of a fungus from family Chaetomiaceae. The molecular mass of the enzyme was approximately 73 to 80 kDa and pI of 3.5. The optimum pH for the oxidation of syringaldazine was 7.0 and the optimum temperature was 42° C. The laccase was stable for up to 288 h at 4° C. and its respective half-life times at 25 and 40° C. were estimated to be 150 and 20 h.
Laccases have many industrially potential applications, such as delignification of wood pulps, methods for treating lignin containing fibers, methods for treating wood fibers in order to functionalize them or glue the fibers, improval of the production of fuel ethanol from renewable raw materials, food applications (for example in baking or clarification of beer or wine), various bioremediative processes and textile applications, such as denim treatment, stain removal, treatment of various fibers for textile industry, methods for decolorizing dyes and methods for treating dye house effluents, or use in hair dyeing composition, in hard-surface cleaning or in detergent formulations.
“Stone washed” look or an abraded look has been denim producers' interest in recent years. Traditional stone washing with pumice stones reduces the strength of fabric and burdens the laundering apparatuses. Past years the trend has been towards enzymatic denim finishing processes. “Bleached look” of denim is normally obtained by means of bleaching chemicals, e.g. sodium hypochlorite. So far bleaching with hypochlorite has been the most efficient bleaching method for denim dyed with Indigo, since almost all shades can be obtained. However, hypochlorite process is environmentally very harmful, it is difficult to control and it damages the fabric easily. It is also very inconvenient or even harmful method for the user, it cannot be used for Lycra containing products and antichlor treatment with several rinsing/washing steps is required. There is thus a need for development of ecologically less harmful alternative for sodium hypochlorite, in particular laccases have been studied for that purpose.
WO 97/25468 describes the use of laccase in a method for providing to dyed denim an abraded look. The method comprises a cellulase treatment and simultaneous or subsequent treatment with a phenol oxidizing enzyme, such as laccase, and an enhancing agent, such as methylsyringate. Myceliophthora thermophila laccase is the example of laccases in the patent publication.
In textile industry new materials, finishes and dyes have been developed in recent years. Although the new developments have many advantageous properties, such as easy drying, stain and water resistance, or bright colours of the textiles, their disadvantage quite often is that they must be washed at low temperatures. Low temperatures are preferred also for economical reasons, since the use of low temperatures saves energy. There is thus a need for laccases which function at low temperatures.
Even though numerous publications describing laccases from various microorganisms are available, there is still a need for novel laccases, which would function more effectively and be more suitable for the various conditions in different applications.